Space-Maintenance Committee/Proposal

Proposal

During the ALVMEET sessions that were held 4 times in the run-up to the ALV, Gorgabal (Koen) took the initiative to write a proposal for a commitee that would help make the space a better place where it comes to tools, materials, organization, layout tidiness, etc.

The running joke for the space should not be that we have 'all the tools you need, just not in working order, or in the wrong place'.

Current members have indicated that better maintenance of the space would be greatly appreciated and we anticipate that this will also be something that would make interested parties more likely to feel they'd like to join as a member.

The board shares the ideal of having the space being a more functional space and has decided to support this by instigating this committee to be presented at the coming ALV.

It is anticipated that it should function as a cross between 'caretaker' and 'office-manager', in that it is not just about the physical work of 'putting stuff in the right place, the right order, the right state', but also about deciding what the right place should be, and how to ensure people know what the right place, state or order is for the forsee-able future.

Responsibilities

The commitee will have responsibilities like (but not limited to) those listed below:

• To take steps to create a tidier, more ordered, more accessible and clean space. For example through the use of monthly events inviting people to participate.
• To enforce policies put in place to help maintain a tidy space. (such as DNH stickers, getting rid of things, etc) To think up and implement procedures and policies that the space stay in order and/or help people know what is expected of them to help do so.
• To focus on the accessibility and maintenance of tools that we have,either directly or through methods such as tool-guardianship, for example.

Freedoms and limitations

In order for the committee to be able to function effectively, it will need freedom to be able to think up plans and implement them. These should be fair, non-biased and designed to be effective without impeding on member's activities more than needed.

For this reason it is important to communicate policies clearly, to consult when deemed necessary , to be cautious when things are not clear. However, the committee is free to implement what they see fit, how they see fit. Members are requested to comply with the committee's policies when asked to do so. Conflicts should be discussed with the committee first, after which it can be taken to the board or ultimately the ALV. Remember, the committee is there to help make the space a better place, this should be remembered by all members whether part of the committee or not.

To avoid conflict, the committee is suggested to use all the methods they have available to them to consult, poll, verify and inform people. For this, the board will help them be able to reach members individually as well as a whole, if required.

Formation of committee

The committee is instigated upon approval of the board of Techinc. As such it now exists as a concept. We thank Koen for having taken up the gauntlet to start writing a proposal for it. As such, we also have decided to ask Koen to take part in the formation of the committee, inviting members to take part in it and to decide upon its structure, its (internal) procedures, etc.

At this ALV, people are invited to indicate their interest in being part of the committee, in any capacity or form, so that they can help Koen give shape.

Among the things that need to be decided are - How to decide upon the committee's membership - How to agree on priorities, policies, priorities, etc - How to communicate - Frequency of contact/events, etc as well as the main things: - What policies would be useful - How to implement them, how to make sure they can be adhered to in a way that people will feel valuable, justified and useful.